Media Broadcasting Salary and Career Information

Degree programs in media broadcasting typically cover the on- and off-camera aspects of creating a television or radio program. Find out about career options, job growth and salary info for media broadcasting graduates.

While newscasters and anchors are two of the most well-known careers in media broadcasting, there's a whole host of opportunities available in this line of work. Some of these additional positions include marketing and sales, production, technology and management. To secure a job in media broadcasting, individuals are required to obtain a media-based bachelor's degree and earn experience through local internships.

Essential Information

Media broadcasters are involved in all aspects of television and radio production. Depending on a person's area of interest, there are a number of jobs available in news, sports, talk, weather, and music. A bachelor's degree is typically required for these positions; however, master's degree programs are also offered. Some positions only require a high school diploma, an associate's degree or certificate. Employers usually prefer to hire candidates with some experience, including internships.

Career Titles

Broadcast Reporters and Correspondents

Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians

Television and Radio Announcers

Required Education

Bachelor's typically required

Associate's or certificate typically required; high school diploma sometimes sufficient

Bachelor's typically required

Other Requirements

Internship or experience usually preferred

N/A

Internship or experience usually preferred

Projected Job Growth (2014-2024)*

-9% (decline)

7%

-14% (decline)

Mean Salary (2015)*

$46,560 annually

$63,340 annually

$46,410 annually

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary Information

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), broadcast and sound engineering technicians received an average salary of $63,340 in 2015. In the same year, broadcast reporters and correspondents took home an average annual wage of $46,560, and television and radio announcers collected a mean salary of $46,410.

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Career Information

When people think of broadcasting, they may think of newscasters or anchors, but there are a number of diverse jobs in the field. Industry workers are involved in all different aspects of creating and airing media programs on television and radio. To prepare for their future career, interested individuals may study broadcasting, mass communications, or broadcast journalism at a college or university. These programs teach students about all aspects of television and radio programming and give them on-air experience that can prepare them for job opportunities.

On-Air Personalities

On-air personalities may include broadcast reporters, correspondents and TV and radio announcers, along with meteorologists and sportscasters. These individuals appear live on-air to inform their audience about important events within their field. This job may require on-location work in military environments or near natural disasters, which can be dangerous.

Production

Employees involved in production work behind the scenes to create the news, talk, and music programs audiences enjoy. They're responsible for planning and coordinating station programming as well as editing and putting the final touches on the finished broadcast. In the context of radio, producers also often decide the music played.

Technical Jobs

The broadcasting industry requires a great deal of technology to run smoothly. Thus, this field employs a number of workers to maintain technology and insure its proper functioning, including broadcast and sound engineering technicians. These workers may operate lights, sound equipment, or cameras. A master control engineer may oversee that electronic transmissions occur without difficulty and meet FCC standards. Network systems analyst, technical director, and computer systems administrator are common positions in this specialty area.

Sales

Most broadcast industries operate by selling advertising time to sponsors. A station's sales staff finds and secures potential advertisers in order to boost revenue for the station. They also schedule commercials and may even create commercials for patrons who do not produce their own.

Management

As in many other occupations, broadcasting industry operations are overseen by managers. Depending on the size of a station, a manager's duties may vary. They generally handle station bookkeeping, hiring, and purchasing, or may hire employees to helm those tasks. Large stations may also employ lawyers, public relations workers, and support staff like secretaries.

Each of these job opportunities provides an opportunity to for individuals to lend their own creativity to the world of media broadcasting. Even though job growth for this field may be on a slow decline, individuals who secure a position as broadcast reporters, sound technicians or announcers should expect to earn anywhere from $46,000 to a little over $63,000 annually.